Help me with gardening and language exchange in Celles, France

Details

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  Description

  Hello, I live on the outskirts of Riberac, South West France with my 2 dogs, Ola & Molly. I enjoy walking and cycling which is useful as there are some fantastic walks & rides locally. I like meeting new people and sharing experiences, hopefully I will make life long friends along the way.
  Our home is 12 minutes drive from Riberac. Riberac is a small but vibrant (from May to September) market town approx 1 and a half hours from Bordeaux. There are bars, restaurants and cafes, a small library, pharmacies, cinema, boulangeries and many small shops and 5 larger supermarkets. On Friday's, Riberac has one of the largest markets in the Dordogne and the whole place is buzzing with street music and artisans selling their produce - everything from ceramics to hand made cheeses. Riberac is extremely safe and very chilled and there's always something happening locally, from gigs and art previews to markets and open air events. Approx 21st June there is a fete de la Musique this is a national music event with something happening in every town - any type of music from punk, ska and reggae to classical and jazz or rock - all bases are covered. It goes on all day and most of the night. There are lovely open air swimming pool's in Riberac and Verteillac. From the end of September, Riberac is quieter, but there are still open mic nights, bars and cafes open and the weather is lovely. People in this area are largely very sociable and friendly. The area is culturally very rich and there are many English speakers as well as other nationalities.
  The house is an old farmhouse where cows were milked. The house & garden have great views and are surrounded by farmland. There is an abundance of wildlife including deer in the garden and orchard, resident barn owls, bats and plenty of bird life. I have a telescope and with no light pollution - the stars are amazing. If you want to experience rural France, wake up to the sound of the birds & generally soak up the countryside then you'd love it here. It is a great place to come and stay. That said you have the choice of nice peace and quiet and/or the social experience from living, speaking, working and thinking in France.
  I am mainly looking for help in the garden and some home maintenance - someone who can work with the usual tools for DIY & gardening.
  You can enjoy your free time to discover the nearby tourist, cultural and natural attractions, numerous river beaches , forests, lakes, medieval villages, Romanesque ruins & museums, flea markets and brocantes, market craft and traditional ones. There really are so many attractions to this area - great walks/cycling (Tour de France passed through last year), Kayaking, beautiful old villages such as Brantome & the very picturesque Aubeterre-sur-dronne with its bars, restaurants and shops. There are wonderful river and lakeside beaches giving an opportunity to swim & sunbathe. You can visit historique monuments such as prehistorique caves or Roman museums. The larger towns, such as Perigueux, with all their attraction's are not far. I enjoy exploring the area, and volunteers will be welcome to join me, but will likely enjoy the area more with their own vehicle as our home is quite remote.
  There are several bikes to use but again i would recommend having your own transport. The closest airport is Bergerac. The nearest train station,St Astier, is 20 minutes away. The city of Bordeaux is just an hours train ride away. Perigueux station and Angouleme station are within an hour. Arriving at my house is easy, I would be very pleased to come and meet you at Angouleme, Perigueux, Mussidan, St Astier or Montmoreau train stations (which link to directly to Paris & Bordeaux) or i could collect you from Bergerac airport.
  It will be a pleasure to tell you more - feel free to contact me! But if you are interested, once you read my profile, it would be nice if you let me know what kind of help you think you can give me. Thank you very much!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I’d like to learn more French to a fluent level and you can practice your English skills with me. I am currently at an intermediate french level.
  I'd like to discover & exchange any information about your country, your traditions, your food, your hobbies ... each exchange is unique!

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  I am looking for help in the garden. This is the main focus in Spring & Summer. There may be cutting back overgrown areas, weeding, mowing, strimming, digging and planting. I have machines to help such as a trimmer/brush cutter/ride-on mower. I like to grow my own fruit & veg and have many fruit trees so there would be maintenance on the veggie patches.
  There maybe some painting but generally its just maintenance tasks. I may ask for help with indoor projects like cleaning and decorating. I wouldn't ask you to do anything that I would not be willing to doing myself. I'd also welcome anyone with decorating / building / carpentry experience.
  If you're into fitness then I'm interested in any motivation you can provide.
  I'd like help from positive, practical people who can demonstrate initiative with a creative attitude and generally don't mind mucking in.
  The help is around 5 hours per day, the rest of the day and the weekends are of course entirely free.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'm open to any language exchange. I'm very keen to improve my French conversation skills so it would be great to host a french speaker.
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  Accommodation

  You'd have your own upstairs bedroom (double or twin) and bathroom, and there's plenty of private space to relax and unwind. I live downstairs. Kitchen facilities are shared and I have a lovely outdoor terrace and garden with great views for when the weather is good. There are several living areas. English TV and internet available. There are bikes and various sports equipment inc table tennis available. The interior of the house is a smoke free zone.
  I also have space for a camper van.
  Meals times are flexible. You may join me or cook for yourself. It would be nice to share the cooking perhaps. This can be discussed prior to your visit. We can agree what works best.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  I do not have fibre internet but I have no problem with my wifi. There would be a dining table to work from and consideration for quiet would be given.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I have ample space for a campervan/motorhome and think it will enhance your stay if you have your own transport in order to really explore. You could still use the facilities within the house

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week